Daily Update On Current Affairs – October 11, 2017

IIT-Kharagpur has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Samsung India for setting up of a digital academy on the institute’s campus. The Department of Computer Science and Engineering in the institute will host the Samsung Innovation Lab and train students on the Internet of Things (IoT) through Tizen-based operating systems, commonly used by the company for its mobile phones and home appliances. Samsung is an electronics company based in South Korea. Dr. Oh-Hyun Kwon is the Vice Chairman & CEO of Samsung Electronics.

VAJRA faculty scheme sees 260 applications

260 applications have been received by the Government for Visiting the Advanced Joint Research Faculty (VAJRA) scheme from foreign scientists. Out of this 260, 70 will be shortlisted this year. VAJRA Faculty scheme is a pilot project by the Dept of Science and Technology and was launched in May 2017. Public funded academic institutions and national laboratories in India are eligible to host VAJRA faculties and can appoint them as visiting faculty. At these institutions/laboratories, the selected scientists will be involved in co-guiding and mentoring students as well as in developing collaborative programmes.

India Water Week 2017 inaugurated

The President of India inaugurated the India Water Week 2017 on 10th October 2017 in New Delhi. The theme of the India water week 2017 is “Water and energy for Inclusive Growth”. The week is marked from 10th to 14th October2017. India Water week 2017 is a platform to discuss ideas with global level stakeholders in the field of water resources for mutual benefit.

ICICI Bank commits Rs 10 Cr to the Armed Forces

As a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, ICICI Bank has committed Rs 10 Cr to the Indian Armed Forces, which will be used for the welfare of the armed forces and the families of the ex-servicemen. The fund will be used for two programmes. The first will support post graduation studies of widows of soldiers and the education of their wards. The second will provide for financial assistance for the marriage of the daughters of the ex-servicemen.

10TH October – World Health Day

World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. ‘Mental health in the workplace’ is the theme of World Mental Health Day 2017.

Facebook India MD Umang Bedi Resigns

In just over a year of joining Facebook as India MD, Umang Bedi has resigned from his position at the social networking giant. Sandeep Bhushan has been appointed as the interim Managing Director. Facebook had roped in Umang Bedi as its Managing Director, India from Adobe. He had taken over from Kirthiga Reddy. Prior to joining Facebook, Umang served as Managing Director of the South Asia region at Adobe. Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is the founder and Chairman of Facebook.

PepsiCo India Chairman and CEO D Shivakumar Resigns

PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd’s Chairman and Chief Executive officer D. Shivakumar have resigned. He will be joining Aditya Birla Group as president (corporate strategy and business development). Ahmed El Sheikh, currently senior vice-president and general manager for PepsiCo Egypt and Jordan, will succeed Shivakumar as PepsiCo India CEO. PepsiCo entered India in 1989. PepsiCo headquarters in New York, United States.

11th October – International Day of the Girl Child

11th October is the International Day of the Girl Child. On December 2011 the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution to declare 11th October as the International Day of the Girl Child to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. On this occasion, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Sanjay Gandhi will address a panel discussion on the Role of Sports in the Empowerment of Girls in New Delhi. Sachin Tendulkar, Mithali Raj, Raspreet Sidhu, Ragini Sharma, Mana Mandlekar will also take part in the panel discussion. In view of the Day, Ministry of Women and Child Development is celebrating the “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” Week from 9th to 14th of this month.

10th October – World Day against Death Penalty

The World Day against Death Penalty is observed all over the world on 10th October. The theme for this year is “Death Penalty and poverty”. The World Coalition against Death Penalty is an alliance of NGOs, bar associations, local bodies and unions whose aim is to strengthen the international anti-death penalty movement. In 2003, the Coalition decided on 10th October as the World Day against Death Penalty.

Vinay Mohan Kwatra appointed as the next Indian Ambassador to the Principality of Monaco

On 9th October 2017, Vinay Mohan Kwatra was appointed as the next Indian Ambassador to the Principality of Monaco. He is an IFS officer of the 1988 batch. He is presently the Indian Ambassador to France. He has been concurrently appointed as the Ambassador to Monaco. He will function out of Paris.

New Chairman takes over Kolkata Port Trust

On 9th October 2017, Vineet Kumar took over as the full-time chairman of Kolkata Port Trust. He is an officer of the Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers 1993 batch. For almost 18 months, the chairman of Vizag Port Trust was holding additional charge of Kolkata Port Trust.

Indian pair wins World Archery Youth Championship

On 9th October 2017, the Indian pair of Jemson Ningthoujam and Ankita Bhakat won the World Archery Youth Championship in Argentina.

Iceland becomes the smallest country to qualify for FIFA 2018 World Cup

On 9th October 2017, Iceland became the smallest country to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The 2018 FIFA World Cup will be held between 14th June and 15th July 2018 in Russia. Iceland is one of the smallest nations in the world, with a population of just 350,000 people. The football team was coached by a part-time dentist.